Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to your Fire Safety Plan through the manager or strata council of your building. BC Fire Code (2.8.3.2) states that fire drills should be held at intervals not greater than 12 months, with more frequent drills performed for day-care centres and schools.

Occupant loads are based on calculations done by a design professional. A designer or architect reviews the intended use of the building or part of the building to determine the occupant load. The occupant load and occupancy classification will then be used to determine the life safety requirements for that building or part of the building.

Existing buildings may require an occupant load calculation for an event that has a different layout than was originally approved when the building was built. An example would be a cultural festival in a community gym. The original occupant load typically does not take into consideration custom configurations such as table, chairs, dance floors, etc. A registered professional should submit a dimensioned floor plan of the space with the intended layout (table, chairs, etc.). The design professional would provide the calculations for the occupant load of the customized space, the exit paths, and doors based on the provisions of the BC Fire Code. The determined occupant load of the space will be the most restrictive of the calculations and will be reviewed and permitted for that event by the Fire Department if acceptable.

For more information please contact the Fire Department on 604-980-5021 or email: fire@cnv.org.

You can request inspection information from the Fire Department on any property in the City. This is known as a Comfort Letter and will provide available details with regards to the latest inspection of the property. Inspection information will include BC Fire Code and City of North Vancouver Fire Bylaw related deficiencies.

Subject to when the last inspection was conducted, an inspection may be conducted in order to provide a more accurate account of potential deficiencies. This may delay our ability to respond to requests with short timelines.

A separate Comfort Letter request must be submitted to City Hall regarding permits, zoning, outstanding work orders, Occupancy etc. Please contact the Building Department at 604-985-7761 or visit their web page: www.cnv.org/BuildingAndDevelopment. Please include the following in your request:

Name, address and contact information

Owner's authorization (if you are not the registered owner)

Address of property

Please be specific regarding whether your request pertains to the entire building, or just specific units within the building

Date when the Comfort Letter is required

Cheque for the required fee payable to the Corporation of the City of North Vancouver

Fire Safety Plans can be submitted both electronically (PDF version) and in binder form to the City of North Vancouver Fire Department. Electronic submission can be forwarded to fire@cnv.org while binder form can be dropped off at:

North Vancouver City Fire Hall
165 East 13th Street
North Vancouver V7L 2L3

Fire Safety Plan reviews have a fee of $157.50 payable to the City of North Vancouver and must be submitted with the Fire Safety Plan to the Fire Department for processing. Please note: There is no charge for Construction Fire Safety Plans. Fire Safety Plans should be reviewed and updated yearly, or when there are updates for contact information or alterations to site or floor plans. For information and advice on how to compile a Fire Safety Plan - please review the Fire Safety Plan Guidelines or click here for additional information.

The City Fire Department reviews and determines the maximum occupant load for all SOL applications (for public events in buildings as well as outdoors). Generally, the applicant submits an application with information providing their calculations and the Fire Department reviews for accuracy and approves as required. The occupant load indicates the maximum number of people that can safely occupy a space.

If the Special Occasion License application is for a premises that already has an approved Occupant Load, you will not require a new Occupant Load Certificate provided your event conforms to the approved plan and number of people including guests, servers and staff (i.e. you are using the identical seating plan, including the table and chair layout); any variation would require a new Occupant Load Certificate. The Fire Department will verify the occupant loads for all SOL applications.

For more information contact the City of North Vancouver Fire Department at 604-980-5021 or email fire@cnv.org. The LCLB assumes you have met all requirements outlined by the City.

The North Shore Emergency Management Office (NSEMO) has loads of online tips to help you prepare for an emergency. For more information visit www.nsemo.org. NSEMO frequently runs free workshops to residents who wish to learn more. Don't forget to sign up for Rapid Notify, a tool that may be used to notify the public in the event that emergency messaging needs to be conveyed to residents and businesses of the North Shore. You can find the details on the NSEMO website.

Written requests should outline the reason for the request as well as all related information; i.e. date of incident, persons involved, location and time the incident took place. The request will be reviewed and a determination will be made in regards to the release of information.